November 4, 2023
Queenston Heights Park, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Valour and Victory: Indigenous Veterans Day
Valour and Victory: Honouring Indigenous Veterans
Saturday, November 4, 2023 / 1:00 p.m. / Queenston Heights Park
Valour & Victory honours the contributions and sacrifices made by the Six Nations and Native Allies during the Battle of Queenston Heights and the War of 1812 in support of their British and Canadian compatriots.
This annual memorial and reconciliation service remembers Indigenous soldiers who, through courage, strength and peacemaking, helped secure victory at pivotal events throughout the War of 1812 to secure freedom for all Canadians. This year’s event commemorates the seventh anniversary of the unveiling of the Landscape of Nations Memorial in Queenston Heights Park.
Valour and Victory aligns with Niagara Parks’ ongoing commitment to reconciliation, education and the preservation of Indigenous history.
Event Program
Please gather at the Landscape of Nations memorial entrance at 12:45 PM.
Greetings: Travis Hill
Traditional Greeting: Karl Dockstader
Welcome from Niagara Parks: David Adames
Remarks: Tim Johnson
Historical Address: Paul Williams
Veteran and Service Member Recognition: Jessica Miller & Cita Johnson
Honour Song: Phil Davis
Moment of Silence
2nd Lincoln Artillery
Laying of Wreaths
Ceremonial Fire: Brian Kon
Battle of Queenston Heights
The Battle of Queenston Heights was the first major battle of the War of 1812. It marked an essential moment in the emergence of a fledgling country whose borders and character were being tested and defined.
It was during this battle that Native Allies pinned down an overwhelming force of the American army, allowing the British and Canadians to counterattack and regain the Heights.
Landscape of Nations
The Landscape of Nations Memorial is dedicated to the Six Nations and Native Allies that participated in the War of 1812. Limestones from the Queenston Quarry represent each nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in a sunburst pattern. Abenakis, Delaware and nations from the north are also honoured in the memorial.
The Landscape of Nations Memorial affirms the proper place of Indigenous people at the core of Canadian history and signals their ongoing role in contemporary life and national affairs.
Haudenosaunee Reconciliation
Valour & Victory also recognizes the historic entreaty of peace and reconciliation made at Niagara on August 31 and September 1, 1815, between the Haudenosaunee of the Grand River and those of New York that became American Allies.
The War of 1812 witnessed a civil war among the nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy fighting on both sides of the conflict. At this solemn service to mark National Indigenous Veterans Day, we remember the fallen, the dedicated and the peacemakers whose valiant efforts forged a lasting peace.
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